


Before

by Amy R (Brightknightie)



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Childhood, Community: fandom_stocking, Gen, Historical, Middle Ages, Midsummer, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-06
Updated: 2011-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-23 08:06:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightknightie/pseuds/Amy%20R
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Janette's childhood included happy days.<br/>        <em>"It was how things were — which was to say, how they always had been, and always would be."</em><br/><span class="small">(Original: January 2011.)</span></p>
            </blockquote>





	Before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skieswideopen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skieswideopen/gifts).



**  
_Pays de France, c. 974_   
**

The little girl's hands wiped themselves on her wool tunic. Clean, they reached up to receive a roasted garlic bulb.

Mature fingers dropped the treat into the child's cupped palms, then brushed black hair out of her eyes before pushing her lightly on her way. Breaking open her bulb and nibbling on a sweet, sharp clove, the girl watched older children pile up brush for the bonfire. It was St. John's Eve, the longest day of the year. When the sun finally went down, the big fire, like the garlic, would scare off the evil spirits that would otherwise gather strength as the nights grew longer. Later, the men would ignite wheels of straw and roll them down the hill from the bonfire, round and bright like the sun. Nights as well as days were warm; food was everywhere; even the sternest adults were in good cheer. This was her favorite holy day all year.

Why evil spirits feared the garlic and fires that she loved, Janette did not wonder. It was how things were — which was to say, how they always had been, and always would be.

  


  
**— End —**   


**Author's Note:**

>  **Disclaimers.** Parriot and Cohen created  Forever Knight; Sony owns it. I intend no infringement. Naturally, all characters and situations are fictional. (Vampires don't exist. Midsummer celebrations did, though.)
> 
>  **Citations.**   _Canon:_ This story speculates back from "A Fate Worse Than Death," assuming from dialogue that Janette came across roughly a thousand years before that, and toys with the way she plays with matches in "Curiouser and Curiouser."  _History:_ The components of the medieval midsummer celebration mentioned here come from the  Cassell Dictionary of Superstitions by David Pickering (1995).
> 
>  **Credits.**   _Inspiration:_ I wrote this mini-story for Skieswideopen in the 2010/2011 Fandom Stocking game; she's a Raven.  _Beta-Reading:_ My thanks to Ithildyn for checking the story.
> 
>  **Thank you for reading!** Constructive criticism is welcome. Let me know what you think?


End file.
